Most Western countries have laws and regulations prohibiting support for terrorists or former terrorists. The US, the UK, Holland, Norway, Sweden and others have debated, proposed and/or passed laws or motions in parliament against giving the Palestinian Authority money that ends up in the hands of terrorists. In spite of their laws and their opposition, these countries continue to fund the PA's general budget, thereby paying tens of millions of dollars to terrorists as salaries and other payments.

Last week, the PA announced that it will be giving an additional $46 million a year to released prisoners, a category which includes hundreds of murderers of civilians. Since the PA cannot cover its monthly budget payments without Western aid, these additional payments to terrorists will also be facilitated both directly and indirectly by Western donor money to the PA.

The official announcement was made by the PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake, who said that the PA government has approved a regulation of the Prisoners' Law that "is concerned with improving conditions for released [prisoners]," a regulation whose "budget... has been estimated at 160 million shekels a year."

This 160 million shekels ($46 million) for terrorists, including mass murderers, is made possible by international donors. This was made clear in the PA Minister's announcement. He explained that the PA was not able to fund this financial support for released prisoners in 2013 because of its "large budget deficit," so it will only start in 2014:

"Karake noted that the government has acknowledged the importance of the regulation and the need to implement it according to the rules. However, due to the large budget deficit and the PA's financial situation, establishing the budget, which has been estimated at 160 million shekels a year, has been postponed until April [2014]."

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 6, 2014]

Significantly, the PA did not cover its 2013 budget without hundreds of millions of dollars from Western donors, tens of millions of which went directly into the bank accounts of terrorists. Since there have been no reports of massive improvements in the PA economy freeing it of the need to receive Western aid to pay its budget, clearly the PA is counting on Western donor money to facilitate this $46 million to terrorists as well.

In 2011, Palestinian Media Watchexposed that the PA pays high salariesto imprisoned terrorists. Similarly, the PA gives salaries, grants and other financial benefits to released terrorist prisoners. Since then, many European countries have condemned the PA's use of their money to pay terrorists. However, the PA responded to Western criticism by mocking European donors for wanting their money to remain "clean." In the words of the same PA Minister who announced the $46 million for released prisoners:

" The Europeans want their money that comes to us to remain clean - not to go to families of those they claim to be 'terrorists.' [They] need to renounce this occupation (Israeli) mentality. These [prisoners] are heroes, self-sacrificing fighters (fedayyeen), and fighters who fought so that we could live in dignity... These heroes, whom you [the audience] are applauding, must live in dignity, so that we will continue to hold our heads high. We appreciate the people of the revolution and are proud of them."

Although the PA has rejected the European demand not to fund terrorists, neither the US, the UK, Holland, Norway, Sweden or any other donors have announced over the last year a cessation of funding for PA salaries or the PA general budget, from which the PA pays the terrorists. It is therefore not surprising that the PA continues to use donor money as it pleases against donor wishes. In addition to paying salaries to terrorists, the PA uses donor money to glorify terrorist murderers, propagate libels demonizing Israel, promote violence and spread Antisemitism among its people [see PMWdocumentation]. To this, the PA has added and additional $46 million payment to terrorists, which will be paid by Western taxpayers in 2014.

The following is a longer excerpt of the report on the additional budget of $46 million that the PA has decided to allocate to imprisoned and released terrorists:

"[PA] Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake said that it has been decided that the budget for the fifth regulation [of the Prisoners' Law] approved by the government will be set this coming April [2014]. [The fifth regulation] completes the remaining implementing regulations of the Prisoners' Law, and is concerned with improving conditions for released [prisoners]. This will be done as an appendix to the [general] budget, so its implementation will begin this year and [apply] retroactively.

Karake noted that the government has acknowledged the importance of the regulation and the need to implement it according to the rules. However, due to the large budget deficit and the PA's financial situation, establishing the budget, which has been estimated at 160 million shekels a year, has been postponed until April. [He added that] a ministerial committee has been appointed to prepare the appendix to the budget.

Karake emphasized that this regulation will contribute considerably to solving many problems that prisoners face after their release and that it is part of the regulations and laws for all services for the prisoners, in a just and transparent manner, and in accordance with the law. Likewise, he noted that the government has made the prisoners' issue one of its priorities and is investing all its efforts in easing their suffering given what is available (i.e., availability of funds).

Karake thanked the President [Abbas] and the Prime Minister [Hamdallah] for their great efforts and for their [accepting] responsibility for the prisoners' cause, whether at a political or social level, or at the livelihood level. On another matter, Karake said that the government has approved a regulation for exempting released prisoners who have served more than 20 years in occupation prisons from paying customs duty, as well as a regulation for covering the costs of fertility [treatments] for released prisoners who are suffering from fertility problems. This [will be done] in cooperation with the Ministry of Health."